Page 92 of Barbi and the Villain

He sets BonBon down and comes closer.

My heart flutters as he stops in front of me. He lowers his head, his breath fanning my cheek.

Breathe, Barbi, breathe!

“What? What is it?” I stammer.

“What is this smell?” He feigns ignorance as he sniffs my hair.

My mouth drops open in shock as I realize what he’s doing.

The wretched man!

“Oh, do be quiet. If I smell of poop, you do too,” I tell him pointedly, hitting him lightly.

“So? I do not mind it. I have smelled far worse. But you…” His eyes crinkle with amusement.

“I what?”

“You strike me as a spoiled little girl who has been pampered her entire life. I doubt you have experienced much hardship.” He smirks.

“I will have you know back home I scoop PomPom’s poop every time we go out. I am not a stranger to poop!”

“Is that so?” he drawls.

“It is exactly so. I’ve had her since she was a little babe. I trained her how to go potty and there’s been quite a few times she’s had an accident while we were home. Once even on my lap. Poop does not scare me!”

“Understood. You are a poop master.”

“What—” I stare at him in shock for a moment before I realize he’s just making fun of me.

Nykander is making fun of me instead of scowling at me.

My lashes flutter, emulating the beats of my heart.

A deep blush stains my cheeks as I avert my gaze.

“I was joking, Barbi.” He chuckles. “You are surprisingly easy to rile up.”

“Well…” I wet my lips. “I suppose being a poop master is better than being a master of nothing,” I murmur, my lips quirking up.

He shares the smile, and for a moment, we just gaze at each other.

Did it suddenly get warm in here? I fan my face with my hand.

BonBon’s bark breaks the spell as he begs Nykander to swoop him in his arms.

And so we continue our journey.

Yet that moment becomes a precious memory that I tuck away in that part of my brain that will likely never forget him.

As it gets dark, we come across a dead end. The path of the flowers suddenly stops, but there is nothing else around us except an open field.

Nykander’s lips snarl in disapproval as he looks around.

“Maybe we missed a path?” I offer.

He grunts.

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